Station One
by JennieJoy72
Summary: Jamie goes to Station One. A few swear words, nothing major. Please Read and Review.


**Station One**

Jamie got out of his car and walked into the campground. It looked more like summer camp than a camp to train and test intelligence agents. He knew all about this place from his parents while growing up. He had heard about the different scenarios that had been run over the last few years. His mother was in charge of the training and testing that were run here and even he knew that wouldn't give him an advantage. He got signed in and settled into his cabin and remembered the conversation he had with his mother just the day before.

"_Jamie, you need to understand that when we are at Station One you will get absolutely no special treatment from me. In fact, I am expecting a hell of a lot out of you. Lee has been working with you I know that and he was the best, but you have to know these tests are designed to make you sink or swim."_

"_I know and I am not expecting any special treatment, Mom, I just want a fair chance. That is all I am asking for. How am I supposed to address you there?"_

"_Agent Stetson is always the best way to go at Station One; that is what the others will be calling me."_

"_Is Dad helping with this session?"_

"_No, he has to stay with your brother and sister this time; my backups will be on their honeymoon and your Grandmother will be out of town as well."_

"_Mom, are you okay with this?"_

_Breathing deeply and closing her eyes she just said, "No but I understand where you feel the need to try this. As a senior agent I know your chances of completing this part of the process; as your mother I am more afraid knowing what this business can do to a person."_

"_Thank you for at least letting me have the chance to try; I could always fail you know." Jamie smiled and at that moment she knew that failing was not in his nature._

A knock on his door brought him back to reality and he opened the door to find a woman about his age standing there, holding an envelope in her right hand; which she handed to him. He said, "Thank you." and without responding she turned and walked away. He went back in his room and opened the envelope and read the itinerary for the next two days. Looking at his watch he saw he had ten minutes to get to the welcome orientation session so he stood to leave. He grabbed his itinerary and something to write with then he left to start the rest of his life if he was lucky enough to make it all the way.

Jamie walked to the meeting area and took a seat in the back; he wanted to get an idea of who he was up against. He noticed his mother at the front talking to a man he could only assume was one of the trainers. He had never really seen her in this position and wondered how she would be. He knew that his mother didn't want him in this business. She made it clear from the moment he said he applied and was accepted to start the process. This was the last step in getting into the training classes at the Agency; Jamie was ready he just wanted his mother's approval. Amanda turned to the crowd of eleven candidates, taking note of where her son took a seat thinking that was his Stetson training showing. Never let the other guy get the drop on you.

"Okay, we are going to start. My name is Agent Stetson I will be running this session along with Agent Michaels. As you complete courses and tactics, you will be evaluated by me, Agent Michaels, and the instructors. If you are lucky after three days here you will be allowed to move forward to our shooting obstacle course. Just so you are aware eliminations will start as soon as this evening. The following need to report the martial arts area: Stevenson, Jackson, Anders, Miller, Jacobs, and Masters. That leaves Martin, Seal, Tuttle, Kovac, and King to come with me to the running course. I wish all you the best of luck."

The two teams spilt up and Jamie followed his mom and the others and when they reached the edge of the woods she turned and said, "Okay your first test starts here. Each one of you will run the three mile course each starting three minutes after the one in front of you. You have check points that other trainers will give you a small flag. You each need to bring your flags to me at the end of the course, where I will be waiting for you; any questions?"

"Agent Stetson, how many flags will we need to acquire?"

"I can't tell you; now you will draw numbers to see who goes in what order."

Each person reached into the bag and drew out a number; Jamie was second. He stood ready after Amanda had radioed the order of candidates to the check point leaders; she then turned and said, "It starts now. Good luck to you all." Her eyes never rested on Jamie the whole time she spoke he just hoped that she was cheering him on.

The time came for Jamie to start his turn on the course. Three miles wasn't that hard, he and Philip usually did five a day together. The course began out fine and then the trail began to break up and get rocky. He made it to his first two check points without any incidents. He was almost to the half-way point when he heard a twig snap to his left and he prepared himself for an attack but never stopped running the course.

The attacker came from his left and Jamie leaned into the blow and then retaliated by grabbing the assailant by his collar and flipping him onto his back and kicking a knife from his hand disarming him. The assailant held his hands up and handed him a flag. Jamie took the flag and continued on in the course. The rest of the course was just physical obstacles and as far as Jamie knew he hit all of the check points. He saw his mom at the end of the course; running toward her he handed her his flags and said, "Agent Stetson, these are the flags I collected on my run, I hope I acquired them all."

"Mr. King, your evaluation of the day's events will be recorded and you will be notified if necessary." Her voice was void of emotion; Amanda had never spoken to him like that before and even though he was expecting it, it still hurt as he heard the coolness of her tone. He just nodded at her and went to get some water. He sat drinking water when another trainer came up and informed him that he was needed for his next task. "I'm ready whenever you are; lead the way." Jamie got up and without looking toward his mother he went to his next task at hand. He spent the rest of the day pushing his physical being to the extreme. On top of the three mile run, the attack, he had two rounds of martial arts and finally he was given a test to judge his mental judgments.

He went back to his room to shower and rest before it was time to go to dinner. The water fell over him and he thought it was the greatest feeling next to sex he had ever felt. Every muscle hurt, hell his hair hurt. He thought it had more to do with the stress of his mother's disapproval than the tasks themselves that made everything hurt. He set down on his bed and went to lie down when a knock on the door had him groaning as he stood to answer it.

The same female who had brought his itinerary early stood before him and he noticed that she was wearing different clothes but something else seemed different about her than a few hours earlier. She handed him an envelope and turned and walked away. "Thank you." Jamie said after her and she turned and smiled at him. He got the feeling she wasn't supposed to do that but he didn't care; she responded to him.

He sat back down and opened the envelope and he pulled the blue index card from it and read the single word written on it; ADVANCED. He smiled and finally felt like he could relax and trust in the things Lee had already taught him.

At dinner he saw his mother walking around and talking to different people and asking them rapid fire questions. He heard a few of the questions she was asking and it occurred to him that they all had to do with observations of the camp in one way or another. Jamie sat racking his brain trying to remember all the different things he had seen that day. "Mr. King, do you mind if I ask you some questions about your day?" Amanda asked her son and looking him in the eye for the first time in hours.

"Go for it, Agent Stetson, what would you like to know?" He gave his mother a look he had seen her husband do before when he challenged her at something. The look was not missed on his mother.

"Can you tell me anything about the agent that brought you information to you cabin?"

Jamie went to answer and then something hit him like a ton of bricks, "Which agent are you asking about; the first one or the second one?"

"What makes you think that they were two different agents?" She asked.

"Both were around my age and obviously twins, but not identical. One is right handed and one is left. They each used their dominate hand, out of habit I am sure, when they handed me my information. One is more restricted to following the rules while the other is still in the business of following directions she isn't opposed to responding to good manners when they are shown."

Amanda nodded her head and made notes on her clipboard without any more questions she stood and said, "Thank you, Mr. King. Have a good night, tomorrow will be just as busy."

"I look forward to it Agent Stetson." A satisfied grin crossed his face as his mother walked away from him rolling her eyes making a really big mental note to tar and feather her husband.

Amanda made it back to her office/cabin and dialed Lee to check to make sure she still had children and a home to come home too.

"Hello?" Lee answered.

"Hi, how are things going there?"

Lee looked observing his eight year old twins standing in front of him covered in sauce from a food fight during dinner and calmly said, "Things are fine, honey. How is everything going there?"

"Lee, he has excelled at everything we have thrown at him. He had the fastest time on the three mile run and that was with an attack, he knew the difference between the Parker twins that delivered his welcome packet and his advancement notice. His martial arts scores are off the chart. Tomorrow is the driving course and another run, I've seen how you taught both boys to drive I don't see him failing and after today he has a difference confidence about him."

"Amanda, these are good things. This is what he wants to do, let him do it. He is so smart he can work in any department he wants. Hell even the guys in the dungeon have to be trained in the same manner."

"Well, tomorrow is a big day I just wanted to give you an update. I will try to call tomorrow. Give the twins a hug and kiss from me. I love you."

"We love you too and stop thinking this is the worst thing for our son; it seemed to work out well for you."

Smiling she agreed and hung up and then went and tried to sleep. She knew in the deep part of her that Jamie was going to be a great agent, but she just had this nagging feeling that if he became a full agent that she would lose him to the business. He was more like Lee than he ever was like Joe and he already had the lover boy image that Lee was still trying to live down.

The next day was just as active and busy as they day before. Jamie woke early and did some of his own training in his cabin before going to breakfast and then finding out he was the last person for the road course he went and did some of the other tests while he waited.

Amanda found him at the martial arts ring when she informed him that it was almost time for his driving test and he needed to get back to the course. They walked in silence and then Jamie said, "Will you just get whatever you have to say off your chest and get it over with. This silence and coolness is more than I can deal with."

"Now is not the time. You have to concentrate to drive."

"That is what I am talking about, if we don't clear the air about this between us how am I going to concentrate." Jamie placed his hands on his mother's shoulders and against her better judgment she placed her hands on his face, the face that was looking to her for acceptance of his career choice; he was afraid if he didn't get it he wouldn't be able to finish.

Just then the young agent that Jamie named the smiling twin walked around the bend and from the look on her face she had heard his plea to his mother. He wished she hadn't because he knew how it may have sounded and with his hands on his mother how it looked. "Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt anything. Agent Michaels asked me to see if I could find you Mr. King; you five minutes to prepare for your drive."

"Thank you." He said to her and once again she smiled at him.

"Go take your test, Mr. King; we can talk more this evening."

"Damn it, _Agent Stetson_, when are you going to support me in this?"

"When are you going to learn that I am the only way I can; I haven't evaluated any of your performances. You have done all this on your own just like you wanted. I am letting you do what you want but I damn sure don't have to like or approve of it." Amanda turned and went back to the martial arts ring to get the morning evaluations as Jamie turned in the opposite direction and went to take his driving test. He jerked the helmet from the hand of the previous driver and got in and waited for his instructions from the course instructor. After getting his instructions he started the car and began his maneuvers. Repeating his instructions like a mantra over and over in his mind like a mantra to get him through the course; Jamie finished and handed off the helmet to the next person and stormed off toward his cabin.

He happened to be walking by his mother's cabin when he heard her crying and he wanted to go to her but he knew he couldn't. He stood and listened a few minutes before continuing on to his cabin. When he reached his destination it took him a few moments to realize he was crying too. He knew that this career choice was hard on her but he couldn't understand why she couldn't just support him.

Jamie had awoken three hours later to a knock on his cabin door. Forgetting his lack of clothing he opened the door to find the smiling twin standing in front of him holding another envelope. "Wouldn't it be better and save a few trees if you could just talk to me and say ADVANCE or GO THE HELL home?"

Her steel grey eyes bore into him and then said, "Why would I want you to go home when you are doing so well?"

Smiling at her he said, "Thank you again; do you have a name?"

"Mr. King, of course I do." She said and then turned and walked away from him.

Jamie opened the envelope and read the word he was waiting for; ADVANCED.

He smiled at the realization he had made it to the final test; this was the test he wasn't looking forward to. Lee had taught him to shoot just like he had taught him all the other things he knew how to do already. He didn't go to dinner that night he was busy packing and mentally preparing to shoot in front of his mother.

He knew it was his mother at the door when he heard the light tapping after the dinner hour.  
He walked and opened the door and went back to his task of packing.

"Why were you not at dinner?"

"I guess I just wasn't hungry tonight, Agent Stetson."

"Jamie, how are we going to work together if I can't separate my emotions from the job you will be doing?"

"A job I might remind you that you do. Did you ever think about that?"

"Every day from the first day I took that damn package from your Dad. Here I was with two small boys and this perfect stranger hands me this package and I just follow his lead. Then I didn't just chalk it up to an exciting weekend; no I made an effort to go back into it whenever I could. Do you know where that got me?"

"Married to your soul mate with four grateful children that appreciate all you do; especially what you have been doing my whole life; supporting me and my siblings unconditionally; until now."

"It has gotten me shot at, kidnapped, held captive and thinking I would never see you or your brother again."

"Mom, I know all that; just support me." Jamie continued his plea.

"Of course I will," Amanda shouted, "but you can't expect me to not worry when you head out to do that job. I still worry about your Dad every time he goes to the store; fearful that someone is going to take him."

"Dad is retired and you can't start living in fear because of the choices I have made for my life. I made this choice a long time ago and I have work hard to get here and I am going to continue that hard work. Why? Because I have parents that have shown me that hard work really does make a difference in the lives of other people. I need to make that difference."

"Yes, but a lot of his cases are still classified. He still has all the intelligence and he stays pretty well connected. Jamie, if this is what you really want then of course I am going to support you; but you have to understand how difficult it's going to be for me." Tears ran down her face as she spoke.

"Mom, please don't cry." Jamie put his arms around her to comfort her and after a few minutes she said, "I'm sorry, I just now know how your Dad felt all those time he told me to just stop playing at the spy game and get on with my regular life. The guilt he felt for getting me into this and the overwhelming need to protect me."

"You have always protected me; now it is my turn to protect others."

"Sounds very logical, Jamie."

"Well you and I do have very logical minds." He said smiling knowing now that his mother was fully on his side.

"Okay, I will let you pack; tomorrow is a big day. You need to have a clear mind to shoot at Dodge City."

When the final candidates all gathered at Dodge City for their final testing Amanda stood in front of the five remaining and said, "All you need to do is hit eight of the ten targets. When you finish one of us will go and double check you score and then when everyone has gone through you will ask to go home and a letter will arrive within three weeks to let you know your final scores in every round of tests and if you will be advancing any further. I wish all of you luck now here is your shooting order: Masters, Seal, Anders, Stevenson, and King."

There were no time limits but they were only given one bullet for each target. Masters came out in ten minutes and forty-five seconds. It was a good score but he missed a lot of hidden dangers he was supposed to clear. Seal and Anders made the same time at fifteen minutes and twenty-five seconds; they also missed four targets each. Stevenson went in and immediately tripping a prop and knocking him out and never getting to start much less finish the test.

Jamie was given the clear to go in and winking and smiling at his mother he stepped through the gates. He instantly became on alert and yelled out the corresponding sections he had cleared. Once in the buildings he knew that he was going to have to fire the gun and his adrenaline kicked in harder as he made it through the course getting all ten targets with in an eight minute time. He knew he passed and was now able to go on to formal training. He also saw the smile on his mother's face as he left the testing area. It was the look he had been waiting to see; she was proud of him and he knew that everything would be okay between them.

A week later Jamie and Lee were sitting at the table when Amanda came in and sat down, "Wow! What a long day. Setting up for next week's new arrivals is killing me. They moved two of my classrooms but none of the stuff."

"A new class starts next week?" Jamie asked. "Yes, I have a total of fourteen new agents starting." She saw his face drop and when he looked up he said, "Why didn't I make it?"

She handed him an envelope and said, "What makes you think you didn't make it, Agent King?" Jamie ripped the envelope opened and he shouted in excitement as he read and reread the acceptance letter. "You have to come in this week to fill out paper work and get your ID badge." The next day Jamie walked through the Georgetown foyer and was greeted by a lovely young woman with steel grey eyes and a bright smile. Jamie returned her smile and simply said, "Training."


End file.
